A Near Death Experience
by mythaelogy
Summary: Captain Lara Evans of the U.S. Marines is transported into Pirates of the Caribbean after she falls into a coma in an explosion, having a near death experience. She must try and get back, while helping Jack, meeting enemies from his world and her own. Set Post Locker AWE. Swearing, Sex, JS/OC
1. The meeting of two Captains

Captain Lara Evans woke in an unfamiliar white surrounding. At first she assumed she was in a hospital. The last thing she could remember was the U.S. helicopter landing in Russia surrounded by gunfire. However, this assumption was quickly quelled due to the fact that the man standing above her would never be allowed in a hospital. He had long, black dreadlocked hair covered by a red bandana and a tricorne hat. His clothes were in a general state of disrepair and he had numerous objects hanging off both his hair and his body. Through half-closed eyes she thought that he looked remarkably like Jack Sparrow. She forced her eyes open and realized that she must be having a hallucination as tis man _was _Captain Jack Sparrow. He leant over her, concerned.

"Are you alive?" he asked while poking her in the face. It wasn't the phantom dream tingle she felt but the touch of a warm, calloused and most definitely real hand. She shook her head. She loved the _Pirates of the Caribbean_ movies but this was too much. Maybe, she'd lot her memory and her brain decided to make up new ones.

"Captain Jack Sparrow, captain of the _Black Pearl_**,**Pirate Lord of the Caribbean, piece of eight is an ancient Siamese coins. Carries a flintlock with one shot and a compass that doesn't point north at all times. Can be distinguished by multiple scars and tattoos including a sparrow flying over the sun and his back is extensively tattooed with a 15th century poem called the 'Desiderata'." She blurted out.

Jack looked vaguely amused and suspicious. As he spoke he reached up to touch the piece of eight hanging from his bandana

"That's all very interesting but little does one come across a lass who knows more about them than themselves. So who are you?"

"Captain Lara Evans of the U.S. Marines, Special Ops Black Hawke. I have all four of the movies on DVD and I saw you at the cinema 10 times." Her head was spinning so she just chucked out information that she normally would in America 2010. However, this was anything but.

"Love, I've come across many strange things in my time but I have never heard of the U.S. Marines, only the Royal Navy." Jack paused and kicked the nearest hard surface. "Bloody Royal Navy who got us into this."

At this point, Lara sat up and looked around. She was on the ground beside a ship. It was white for as far as she could see. If her memory served her correctly and she really was in _Pirates of the Caribbean_ then she would say that she was in the locker.

"Listen, Sparrow, have you seen any rocks around?" she asked him. Jack looked rather miffed at being treated in this abrasive manner.

"It's Captain Sparrow, or Jack to my friends."

"Yes, not that you have a lot of those. Now have you seen any bloody rocks around? White rocks, about this big," she said, indicating with her hands.

"No, but if I see one, I will tell you," Jack replied as he stormed off. She could hear him muttering in the distance.

"No wind, of course there's no bloody wind. On my soul I do swear, not a gust, a whisper, a tiny miniature lick. Yes, I know, but why would he do that? Well, because he's a lummox, isn't he? And we'll have a magnificent garden party and you're not invited". He paused. "Oh a rock." He turned back to Lara.

"Oi, Captain U.S. Marines person. I found your bloody rock." She walked over to him slowly, taking the rock out of his hand and studying it. After a moment, she gave it back.

"Good. Let me know if you see any more." He turned back to continue his search for rocks when curiosity overcame him.

"What are ye wearing anyway?" Jack asked. Lara looked down. Considering the circumstances, she looked just as ridiculous as Jack, if not more. She was wearing a camouflage outfit, a helmet and was splattered with blood and grime.

"It's a camouflage outfit. Use it to blend in so you can't see me." At this, Jack closed his eyes, and then opened them.

I can still see you," he stated mildly.

"Well done Einstein. It only works against forest and the like." She quelled the question he was about to ask. "Now, will you help me or not?" She stuck her hand out. Jack looked at it like it was about to bite him. Slowly he shook it.

"Alright Jack, we need to ready the Black Pearl for sailing," Lara ordered. As Jack hauled himself up, she heard him talking again.

"Help indeed. I trust beautiful, smart foreigners about as much as I trust Davy Jones."


	2. Five of you have tried to kill me

**A/N: I always leave everything to the second chapter! First off: Disclaimer. I do not own the **_**Pirates of the Caribbean**_** franchise or any of its characters. As of the 3/08/2012, I am re-writing these chapters to try and improve my writing. Thank you to anyone who has supported me in my story =]**

Despite agreeing to help the newcomer, Jack didn't trust this new captain. Her general appearance evoked mistrust because no-on around here wore clothes like that. Not like there was anyone around here. The only reason he'd been able to keep sane was visualizing the amount of rum he'd drink when he got out. He saw another rock and jumped off the boat to pick it up. He turned to the Marine who was still on the boat but upon seeing her with her back turned, decided to study her for weapons and such. She had since taken off her "camouflage" gear and was now wearing a tight black outfit made out of unfamiliar material. She had two weapons holstered on each hip that looked a similar shape to his flintlock. Her long red hair was matted and tangled with what looked like blood. She was also wearing strange shoes, also similar to his boots. In fact, most of her outfit resembled items he'd seen only it was more advanced. He snorted and climbed up to her to give her the rock.

"My liege," he said sarcastically lowering into a bow and presenting it to her. She took the rock and jumped off, rolling as she hit the ground. She then placed it under the _Pearl_. He raised an eyebrow sceptically from the deck as she nimbly scaled the side of the boat, reaching the top in almost as much time as it had taken her to reach the ground.

"You know, if you're trying to roll the _Pearl_, the rocks are too oval," he suggested helpfully.

"Yes thank you for that. If you want to be helpful, stay on the ship. The rocks are fine now and we need to ready this boat to leave soon." He still couldn't place her accent but he was more than happy with this turn of events. He could sneak up behind her, knock her out and chuck in the brig to sell at a later date. Usually he had a thing about hitting girls like Scarlett or Giselle or even Elizabeth. _I could easily give Elizabeth a good wallop though_, he thought. But this Captain Evans woman was something different. Jack was sure she'd get over it.

Captain Evans was currently securing the tack line. She heard the approach of footsteps. As a part of her training, she'd had to do a stealth course. She continued pulling the rope as tight as she could so she could catch Jack unawares. She heard air swish and ducked without turning behind her. She then followed this by kicking him between the legs and smashing him over the head with one of her pistols. Jack Sparrow dropped to the deck. She dragged him down to the brig and chucked him in the first cell. She then went back to securing the tack line.

Jack Sparrow woke to movement, although it wasn't movement through water. It was a churning, noisy but smooth movement. He pulled the key to the brig out of his pocket and unlocked the cell door. Up on deck, Captain Evans was standing at the wheel. He fumed silently. This was his ship, what did she know. He stamped up to her.

"I assume you have a key," she asked.

"You don't think I'd be able to break out of my own ships brig?" Jack asked. Her reply stunned him momentarily.

"Well no, as you weren't able to break out when Barbossa locked you up near Isla de Meurta. And these doors don't have half barrel hinges so you couldn't have used anything to lever them open. Not that you had anything to use as leverage this time," she told him, smirking.

"Who are you?" Jack asked again, amazed at how she had knowledge to something you would have known only if you were there. And she most certainly was not there.

"Okay you want the truth: I was hired by Davy Jones as an assassin to track you down and kill you. However, when I lost you through the strait near Isla Cruces, I refused to go after you again. Jones sent my ship and I down to the locker." Lara knew from experience that telling the truth got you killed more often than not.

"Okay then, if you _and your ship_, were sent to the locker, where is it, and what is its name?" Lara had to hand it to him; he was smarter than he looked. She already knew that when she'd seen his eyes. Though he was perpetually drunk, or acted like it, his eyes were clear and calculating. Lara didn't even have a name for her ship, let alone the ship itself so she decided to play dumb.

"Where is what?" she enquired sweetly

"The bloody ship!" Jack was growing more and more agitated; the trickster didn't like to be out-tricked.

"Jack, we're on the ship." Jack remained silent and gave her an evil glare. She didn't stare back but looked ahead. The ship being carried on rocks or rather, crabs was sailing over a sand dune. Ahead was sparkling blue water that was dotted with pieces of cargo and people. Jack and Lara raced towards the helm, each wanting to steer the ship. When Jack reached it fist, Lara pulled out both her pistols, levelled them at him and drew the hammer back.

"Pirate?" Jack asked.

"Not in the slightest," she replied. She was about to fire when the ship hit the water and she stumbled off balance, giving Jack a moment to regain control. Jack pulled his sword out and hit her with the flat of the blade. Lara stumbled forward and this time _she_ dropped to the deck, apparently unconscious. Jack surveyed her happily and jumped into a dinghy.

As soon as Lara heard him leave, she opened her eyes. She hadn't really been knocked out but it still hurt like hell. She dived overboard and swam strongly to shore. She arrived just in time to hear the following conversation.

"Why should I sail with any of you? Five of you have tried to kill me in the past, one of you succeeded," Jack said in an almost sing-song voice. Lara saw Will turn and look at Elizabeth who was looking appropriately abashed. She really was in _Pirates of the Caribbean_ with Will, Elizabeth, Barbossa, Tia Dalma, Pintel, Ragetti, Marty, Cotton and Tai Huang.

"Oh. So she's not told you. You'll have loads to talk about why you're here." Jack smiled, loving the drama he'd created. Someone else, however, had done the maths to figure out what five people had tried to kill Jack.

"And what _fifth_ person would this be?" Barbossa asked in his low, pirate drawl. Jack silently cursed. He'd been thinking about the Marine Girl pulling her pistols on him when he said it.

"That would be me." Lara stepped out of the surf, dripping wet. She knew she had to be careful here or she'd end up in the brig. In fact, anything she did was probably going to land her in the brig. Not that it mattered, she'd picked Jacks pocket earlier for the key for his very reason.

She drew in a deep breath, ready for the introductions.


	3. Introductions

**New Chapter: 10/08/12**

However, before she could utter a single word, Jack decided to help her by landing her in trouble with the pirates that had come all this way _just_ to save Jack.

"She's an assassin, hired to kill me. I'm lucky I defeated her with my life," he told the group cheerily. Lara sighed dramatically as everyone's eyes skimmed over her watchfully. Great. Elizabeth's eyes narrowed even further than the rest of the group's.

"Well what a shame it would be to come all this way to have Jack killed by an assassin," said Elizabeth. Lara immediately disliked the woman. She seemed too righteous and so Lara decided to put her in her place.

"Did you hear about your father's death?" she asked nastily. Elizabeth turned pale and bit her lip, apparently trying not to react. Will pulled her tight and glared across her head. Unease ran through the small group and Jack seemed to lose his cheery attitude.

"I don't know about you but this wonderful place that is Davy Jones locker has just lost it allure." Lara turned to him.

"If you want to get out of here, you're going to have to listen to me. Barbossa, the charts if you please," she demanded. Barbossa didn't make any move to give them to her. In fact, he started tapping them against his hand, smirking, knowing he held the upper hand. Lara pulled out her gun and levelled it at him, as she had done at Jack moments before.

"You're bluffing. Your powder's wet," he drawled, his smirk growing in size. However, he seemed a little uncertain. Lara then moved her gun gun to one of Tai Huang's men and quickly and efficiently pulling the trigger, shooting him without hesitating. Eight years in the army had turned her into a killing machine, a very good killing machine. Tai Huang's men started forward with anger but she turned her dual pistols on all of them. They stopped. She turned back to Barbossa and gestured towards the charts. He handed them to her instantly.

"Thank you," she said as she took them, caressing her hand over them smoothly. "And now we leave." Before there were any objections, Lara twirled the gun around her finger and slid them back into the holsters on her upper thighs. "She who holds the guns, holds the power," she quipped as the motley group began to move down the beach.

"So it would seem," Tia Dalma muttered in a deep, accented voice as she passed Lara, only unsettling her slightly. One member of the group remained on the beach with Lara. Will Turner tapped her on the shoulder, an intensely hostile expression on his face.

"Why did you do it?" he asked his voice as cold as ice. Lara shrugged.

"I did what we all do to survive," she told him, serious as memories threatened to tip over her barriers, just as the _Pearl_ had tipped over the edge of the world. She walked off. Most people would have taken this as an indication that the conversation was over. However, Will Turner was more persistent than most people. He had, after all, once sprung a man from jail, commandeered a ship of the Fleet and sailed with a buccaneer crew out of Tortuga, all to find a woman he loved.

"How did you know?" he asked, his voice now more curious than hostile. At this close quarter, Lara could see his muscles, defined under his loose clothing. She'd always had more of an appreciation for Jack than Will in the movies but up close he was a perfect male specimen. He was rugged and masculine whereas Jack had been called sexually obscure. After being in the army, Lara was used to these types of men. Dutiful men, she labelled them. Good for nothing but serving their countries and doing a damn good job of it.

"Let me say I have my sources," she told him before smiling and walking to get away from him.


	4. Up is down

**Edited: 11/08/12**

When they were on the boat, Lara set about ordering everyone about. Jack and Barbossa shared a look of mutual dislike. This was their ship and she wasn't even a pirate. There was no movement and she turned to realise that no one was listening to her. She might have seemingly indestructible guns but apparently, she knew nothing about ships. However, while he dad had been a Marine, like Lara herself, her mother had been in the American Navy, which is how the two had met. As a child, Lara had visited the Navy base and the soldiers would give her sailing lessons on her mother's little boat, _Artemis._ She shrugged and went to move away. She couldn't be bothered with people who didn't listen to her. The USMC had made her impatient in any other situation as it was all she had known until now. Jack and Barbossa immediately re-instated their positions as Captains and the ship began to swarm with activity. She cocked her head as she heard Pintel yell. It was surreal that she managed to slide into this environment and the quotes she'd once only seen on a screen were able to be said to her in real life.

Lara stalked around the ship aimlessly, silently repeating the names of the crew she passed. She walked to the starboard side of the boat and extracted her bag from where she stowed it previously, wedged under . Inside were extra magazines for her gun, a small radio and a Maghook. The Maghook was the signature weapon of Reconnaissance groups in the United States Marine Corps. It had a magnetic grappling hook and also a turbo that enabled it to be shot at high speed at objects. She pulled it out and weighed it. It felt good in her hands as she looked up at the mast. She couldn't see any metal that it could connect to. She continued to walk around the ship, bag now on back, tapping the Maghook against her thigh. _We have to get out of here, we have to get out of here_ she thought. _We could do it the same way as Jack or I could-_ Her thoughts broke off as she spotted the sun reflecting off a band of metal up on the mask that she hadn't previously noticed. _If I used my Maghook to shoot a heavy object up there, then climbed up myself_, _the weight would enable the boat to flip._ Lara had been top of her physics class at school and she could easily see the calculations. She looked at her watch and then to the horizon. It was approximately an hour till sunset. She went to find Jack, feeling that for all his swagger, he would be the one most likely to listen to her.

Jack was sitting with the map in front of him. He was turning and twisting the circles but he couldn't concentrate. All he could think of was Captain Lara Evans and the expression she had on her face when she pulled her guns on him. It was a smirk, turning up slightly at one corner of her mouth and her eyes were completely black, to the depths. It almost scared him. _Almost_. But not quite because nothing ever scared Jack Sparrow, or that was the way he intended it to come across. A shadow fell over the charts. He looked up and saw Lara. Her eyes were a lively green now, the colour of some of the seas he'd sailed in. She leant over, unintentionally giving Jack a view of her chest and twisted the dials. Jack looked down and saw that it now read "Up is down." He looked up.

"Up is down? Well that's just maddeningly unhelpful, isn't it?" he said. Lara raised an eyebrow at him.

"Of course it is. Much like yourself," she retorted. "I know what we have to do".

"I was going to suggest running from side to side until the-"

"It wouldn't work. It only worked in the movies due to intense special effects." Jack assumed an oblivious expression when she referred to anything from her alleged previous world, despite her not having said much. She believed his tactic was that if he ignored it, possibly it wouldn't be true. She studied Jack again without him noticing too much as he muttered to himself. His skin was much darker and more weathered than it appeared on screen, his eyes much more wild. They jumped all over the place, making him seem erratic.

"The immortal Captain Sparrow. . . once every ten years. . . even longer given the deficit of rum." Lara's patience frayed as he muttered and eventually, snapped.

"Enough!" she yelled, slamming a K-Bar knife she had pulled out of her bag along with her Maghook. Jack looked up in surprise, as if only just realizing she was there, before glancing down at the knife.

"I suppose I should be even more concerned now I know you have more weapons," he said dryly, delicately pulling the knife out of the map.

"You're Captain Jack Sparrow," Lara said, reminiscent of Elizabeth when they had been dropped on the island. "You should be able to get out of here but you choose to let someone else do all the dirty work." Jack smirked, inclining his head slightly.

"Of course. My motto in life. Why do something if someone else can do it for you, Captain Evans?" said Jack, his smirk widening. Lara stood up straight, realising that this was the first time Jack had called her by a variation of her name. She turned to the crew who had stopped working to listen to Jack and Lara's conversation.

"You will listen to me," Lara began in a dangerously low voice, walking down the stairs. She weaved her way through the crew, taking into account that they stiffened whenever she passed. "Or I will blow your fucking heads all the way to Tortuga." A bit excessive but Lara had found previously that threats worked when you held all the cards. "Mister Gibbs," she said, turning to the bearded man beside her.

"Aye, miss?" he gulped in reply, a little fearfully. She raised her eyebrows before realising none of them knew who she was.

"My name is Captain Lara Evans. Address me by my title as you would Captain Sparrow," she told the crew. "If you do not listen to me now, I suspect you will sail beyond the reach of your world, and mine."

"Aye, Captain," Gibbs said, in the same tone, still watching her warily. Lara caught Jack's eye from his position beside the steering wheel.

"You need to move every heavy object we have on this ship. All the cargo, the gunpowder and the cannons if we can move them. Spread a net over the bottom of the cargo hold and put the objects there. Gibbs paused, before asking a question fearfully.

"The rum?" he asked, afraid of the answer. Lara paused for a long moment, debating. Allowing them to keep the precious ember drink could win her on side but if she didn't have enough weight behind her, she would be unable to get them out.

"Don't be ridiculous Master Gibbs, of course not the rum!" she called. The crew exhaled in relief moments before beginning to do what she'd ordered. Lara smirked at Jack this time. _Checkmate_. She walked over to the side, surveying the clear blue water that the ship was supported on. She knew that the water in the third movie had been entirely computer generated but the spray that hit her face felt real. She couldn't do what Jack was doing and ignore her location because she had known something different. Whether she had memories of a previous life or she had already died, she was not of this world.

Someone yelled and Lara turned around to view the work. The cargo hold had been filled with everything bar the rum. "Good. Everyone stand in the centre of the ship and wait for my signal," she told them. She then proceeded to do something that would appear very odd to anyone but her. She pulled out her Maghook and checked the buttons and the rope along the side, before deciding it was functional. Because this was the Golden Age of Piracy, the 1600s, everyone appeared more than a little confused. However, they chose to remain quiet in case she decided to shoot them again. She swung down into the cargo hold, dropping lightly onto her feet before wrapping the top corners of the net around the end of the Maghook. She lined it up with the top of the mast, finding the band of metal she had spotted earlier. Behind her, the sun glittered low over the water. She gently squeezed the trigger of the Maghook, hearing a hiss of air. A hydrogen powered magnet flew out from the end, attaching itself to the metal band. The net swung precariously into the air as the 150 of cable wrapped itself around the mast. The _Pearl_ rocked slightly in the water and Lara ironically realised that maybe Jack's method would have to come slightly into play. A second thought crossed her mind a moment later and she disappeared from sight of the crew as she moved further into the belly of the _Pearl_. She pulled out her normal guns and took a deep breath, hoping Jack would forgive her.

_Bam.  
Bam.  
Bam._

Above deck, the ship peculiarly began to tip. Jack frowned and peered over the edge, seeing a disturbance in the water that was caused by more than just the ship tipping over. He didn't have time to think on it as the ships mast and the heavy cargo net hit the water, dragging the _Black Pearl_ into an upside down position. It continued, submerging the ship slightly more than was needed. Everyone had managed to grab a hold of the side and was still attached the ship. Jack watched as a small figure swum out from the cargo hold and removed something from the top of the net, looking as the objects fell away and the _Pearl_ bobbed up slightly. Lara Evans' red hair floated around her head, like some avenging mermaid as she swum up to grab the ship beside the rest of the crew.


	5. Leverage

**Edited: 12/08/12**

They all hung underwater, in an eerie silence. Then the water began to rush towards them, while they were falling through it. It was an odd sensation. The water rushed over them. Lara sat on the deck gasping. Jack, Will, Elizabeth, Barbossa and Gibbs pulled guns on each other but Lara ignored them. She hated the water. That's why she'd chosen to follow her dad and join the Marines instead of the Navy. Tears mixed with sea-water as she thought of her previous life. She was being abrasive towards everyone because secretly, she was worried. This was the first time she'd let the thought enter her mind. She was never getting back because in order to do that, you had to know where you were and how you got there. She lowered her head, trying to hide her face. She also hated crying around anyone but with the water, it was a physical reaction. It scared her more than anything else in this life or the past one, and she didn't know why. She had once read a quote about a sailor. He had written "I will tame the sea and sail upon her but I will not be so stupid as to put myself into her mouth."

She barely noticed as Jack turned with a smirk to see her sitting with her head down. Water dripped off the vibrant red hair that had appeared so much more demonic under water. It was very long and slightly wavy. He signalled for Pintel and Ragetti to follow him as he walked over to her.

"Chuck this… Captain in the brig and throw away the key," he told them, applying a derisive sneer to the word 'captain.' Lara glanced up at him and for the first time, Jack saw that she was surprised. As she allowed herself to be pulled to her feet she noticed it was a sunrise. They were back. Pintel and Ragetti pulled her across the deck and she let them, which came as a shock to Jack. He turned away when he was satisfied they had her under control and walked up behind Will.

"There's a fresh-water spring on this island. We can restock here and go back to shooting each other later," Will said while rolling out the map. A dispute over who would stay with the ship followed.

"How about you both go ashore and leave the ship in my command?" Will blurted out. Upon seeing the looks on Barbossa and Jack's faces, he added "temporaily,"

Lara paced around the brig, considering her options. Jack. Jack was the key to all of this. Jack was who she needed. Therefore, she needed to get Jack onside. She heard footsteps. She looked up to see Elizabeth holding the keys. Silently, she unlocked the door. Lara smiled thanks at her. She still didn't say anything. Lara, curious as to why she wasn't speaking, followed her to be immediately clapped in handcuffs. They were heavier than she'd imagined, massive iron circlets closing around her wrists. Elizabeth was clapped in them immediately after Lara. She looked up to see the fearsome pirate lord of Singapore, Sao Feng. Jack climbed over the side of the ship, right in the path of Sao Feng.

"Jack Sparrow," Sao Feng began with the same sneer Jack had held in his voice while talking to Lara earlier. "You paid me great insult once," he said, his voice full of hatred. Jack, as always, failed to grasp the gravity of the situation.

"Really? That doesn't sound like me." Sao Feng's hand shot out as he punched Jack's nose and Lara grinned as he re-located it. Will pushed forward from the back of the ship, through all the crew members.

"Release her!" he ordered Sao Feng.

"You heard Captain Turner," he said, smiling mockingly. Realization dawned on Jack as to what was going on in this situation.

"Turner needs the _Pearl._ Captain Turner needs the _Pearl_," he murmurmed wonderingly. He then pointed at Elizabeth. "And you felt guilty. And you and your Brethren Court," he said, flapping his hands at Barbossa. "And you came to kill me but you're probably lying about that as well." The last comment was directed at Lara and she watched as Sao Feng's eyes scanned her. He looked mildly appreciative at this fact and Lara resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Ah, poor Jack," Sao Feng drawled. "Poor misunderstood, Jack. Luckily for you, an old friend has come to visit you," he said, placing his hand on Jack's shoulder and marching him over to the railing.

"I'm not sure I can survive anymore visits from old friends," Jack muttered in reply. In full view was a ship with white sails and the East India Trading Company logo standing out brazenly against the ivory sails. Sao Feng turned to his men, jerking his head at Lara.

"He wants the girl, too."

Jack was escorted over to the Endeavour without saying a word and was then shoved through the doors. Beckett stood facing the window, looking out at the _Black Pearl_. Beside him was a man wearing clothes similar to Lara. He also held the same regimented stance he'd seen Lara stand in. _Interesting_. Lara hadn't entered the room yet and Jack took the opportunity to open some tins and boxes.

"It's not here Jack." Beckett spoke without turning and Jack assumed an innocent expression. Rather, he assumed an expression that would have looked innocent on anyone else but on Jack, it just made him look even more like he wanted to steal your shit.

"What's not here?" he asked in a tone that matched his expression and Beckett sighed as he turned. He still wore the same smug and pretentious expression from all those years ago, only now he had the wig to match it.

"The heart of Davy Jones. It's safely aboard the _Dutchman_ so unavailable for you to use as leverage," Beckett informed him silkily. Jack shrugged.

"I have other things available for leverage," he said as Lara walked into the room. He reached out and grabbed Lara's gun from her holsters and pulled her into him, while lifting the gun to her head. She went very still against him. It was a different, more square shape than his flintlock pistol but all guns were essentially the same; pull the trigger and boom. "Such as Lara here." The man beside Beckett finally turned around, revealing a clean shaven face and cold blue eyes.

"Lara?" he asked, his eyebrows raised. He clearly wasn't surprised but Lara certainly was as she gasped.

"Houston?" Major Ryan Rolfe of the United States Marine Corps was her reconnaissance divisions commanding officer. She had been part of his team for just over a year and been much more than a fellow officer during that. She pulled out of Jack's grip, stepping towards him.

"Hey there, Tomb Raider," he replied teasingly, using her call sign. In any military division, a call sign was a nickname awarded to a team member. It was often used in place of their real names. Her call sign had been made after her first month of army training. They had been dropped in Peru as part of a training exercise and someone took a photo of Lara in front of a ruin. Someone had joked that she was not Lara Evans, she was Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, following in the footsteps of her famous father. The name had stuck ever since.

Ryan's, however, had come to be when he'd asked his commanding officer a simple question. "Callsigns? What, like codenames? Like 'Houston, we have a problem?'" And just as the same as with Lara, the name had remained. Lara called him Houston more often than his first name or his commanding title.

"Well, isn't this a happy reunion." Jack's voice made Lara stop in her path towards Houston. "However, I'd like to remind you that while I'm pointing a gun at the fair lady's head, you'll do whatever I say," Jack said icily as he pulled the hammer back.


	6. The body of a Tomb Raider

**Edited: 12/08/12**

Rolfe turned his attention on Jack, surveying him. He didn't want Jack to shoot Lara. He wanted to shoot Lara himself because he wanted to shoot the bitch that ruined his life. He remembered when he first met the woman standing in front of him.

"_Captain Rolfe," His superior who had gifted him with his call sign snapped. "Stand to attention!"_

"_Yes sir!" Rolfe replied, saluting him respectfully. The marines in a line beside him all followed, their voices speaking as one. _

"_Today we have a new marine, although she is hardly new to the army: First Lieutenant Lara Evans." Rolfe's eyes widened as he heard her last name, the name of one of the most famous generals in the USMC history. She walked up behind his officer, wearing the same uniform as the men. However, it managed to hug tightly to her body. Her eyes flashed slightly when she noticed the men staring at her. Rolfe noticed this and drew several conclusions. She was obviously independent and didn't want to ride to the top on her father's glory. She walked over to the line, saluting each soldier as she went past. When she reached him, she appraised him as one would a diamond, before settling in beside him._

"_What's your call sign?" he asked her._

"_Tomb Raider,"_ _was all she had replied as she spun one of her guns around her finger._

Rolfe agreed that she suited her call sign. She had the temperament and body to match the character body but she was too smart for her own good. He drew his gun, standard military grade to match hers. Beckett looked on in mild amusement. Rolfe motioned for Jack to step away from her as he advanced on her

"Ryan?" she asked, using his first name and Rolfe thought that was the first time he'd ever heard her uncertain. She didn't even move to react as he pulled the safety back and levelled it with her head, exactly as she'd done to Jack in the locker. She seemed resigned to the fact that the only person in this who could understand the position she was in was about to shoot her, but Rolfe knew that Lara was a good enough actor to pull that off.

"You will address me as _Major_ Rolfe, Evans. And you know what, this new… situation has allowed me to have a revelation," he told her, waving his hand to gesture to the interior of the ship. "You were only sleeping with me to get to the top." He noticed Jack's face widen into a smirk when he heard that. "You didn't want to use your father's glory so you found an alternative; your commanding officer. And you know what?" He stuck the gun in her face. She met it with unflinching eyes. "It's your fault we're here."

"Miss Evans," Beckett added. "Your presence is no longer required in this world or your own." He nodded to the guards and they walked into the room and disarmed her. They proceeded to drag her out of the room, as she yelled insults at Rolfe.

"I was sleeping with you because I wanted to, you arrogant prick; you didn't want to give me a promotion because I'm a better soldier than you and giving me a promotion would mean that I became _your_ Major!. I'm going to come back and kill you!" she yelled at Rolfe. He merely looked at her then turned back to the window. Beckett turned his attention back to Jack.

"Perhaps you would consider an alternate arrangement, one that requires absolutely nothing from you but information. Otherwise you may end up in the same somewhat sticky situation of our recent acquaintance there," he said nodding his head in the direction of where Lara had disappeared to.

"Regarding the Brethren Court, no doubt? In exchange for fair compensation, square my debt with Jones, guarantee my freedom?" Jack asked.

"Of course. It's just good business. The world is trying not to remain on the losing side."

"If I were in say, a divulgatory mood what then might I divulge?" Jack asked suggestively. Beckett leant closer to Jack.

"Everything." Jack reached out and picked up a fan before flipping it.

'You can keep Barbossa, the belligerent homunculus and his friend with the wooden eye both. And Turner. . . Especially Turner."

'And what of Miss Swann?" Jack narrowed his eyes for a moment, wondering if Beckett had some ulterior motive to wanting her.

"Keep her too; she's too against rum for my liking." Before the conversation could be continued, a shot was heard, followed by screaming and wood splintering. Jack seized the opportune moment and grabbed Beckett's hand, shaking it before rushing out, yelling "Done" behind him.

On the deck, Lara had drawn another pistol, this one somewhat smaller than her dual pistols and obviously hidden. A dead Royal Navy man lay at her feet, another lay concussed. She had a large gash running down her cheek and she was attacking Rolfe. Though smaller than him, her punches were landing. She swung her fists extremely fast and powerfully and her fist connected with his nose. He was going against himself; after all he had wanted her gone. But seeing her fight made him want her to be on his team. He dragged a cannon to the middle of the deck. He lit it just as Beckett walked out.

"You're mad!" he said upon seeing what Jack was going to do.

"Thank god for that otherwise this would probably never work." He lit the cannon, obliterating the small Cutler Beckett figurine in its mouth, tackled Lara, gripped her waist and shot into the air, screaming. The crew of the _Black Pearl_ looked to see where he landed.

"And that was without even a single drop of rum". They all turned to see Jack leaning up on one of the figurines on the ship. Lara had landed on the deck and no one bothered to check her as she tried to get her breath back.

"Mr Gibbs?"

"Aye Captain?"

"Chuck Turner in the brig and set sail to Tortuga. I have to restock my rum cellar."

"And the girl?" Gibbs queried, nodding his head at Lara who was uncertainly trying to stand. Jack merely shrugged and walked away.


	7. When in Tortuga, do as the Pirates do

**Edited: 12/08/12**

Lara walked off the ship before Jack could stop her. He was slightly irritated. After all, it was his boat, so while she was on it, she should listen to him. Although, technically, she wasn't on it anymore and in any case, this one was a will unto herself.

"Oi," he yelled after her, trying to ignore the sway of her hips. She ignored him, giving no indication that she had heard him. "Marine Girl!" he yelled.

"Yes Sparrow?" she asked without turning around. Jack halted halfway down the gang plank. He had expected her to keep ignoring her and now he had no idea what he wanted to say. He hesitated and Lara, being Lara _and_ a marine, picked up on it.

"Well, well, well, Sparrow at a loss for words. Never thought I'd hear the day. Or rather, not hear the day," she told him, smirking.

"Where are you going?" he asked, unable to form a comeback against this hostile minx.

"Nowhere that concerns you, Sparrow."

"It's _Captain_ Sparrow." He walked off the gang plank and towards her, letting his guard down for once. This woman had distracted him from the fact that the _Black Pearl_ was still ready to sail and that Barbossa was still on the ship.

"One could argue that you're not a captain anymore," she told him, indicating the docks behind him. Sure enough, the _Black Pearl_ was sailing away. Jack stood frozen, unable to react.

"That's the third time I've watched that man sail away with my ship," he said thickly. Lara couldn't find it within herself to feel sorry for Jack.

"Oh dear, what a pity. I guess you'll have to buy a new one," she told him, her tone mocking.

"I am so close to killing you, if you know what's healthy, you'll leave now." Lara had never seen Jack display much anger in the movies so it came as a surprise to her when his brown eyes regarded her with hatred.

"Clearly your time in the locker has sent you _slightly_ more into a delusion than you already are if you think you'd be able to kill me." Her voice was icy to match his. "If you know what's healthy for you, Sparrow, you will leave me alone." She turned and swept herself into the bustle of Tortuga.

Lara walked. Jack walked. Lara entered the nearest pub, the _Green Dragon_. Ignoring the looks she was getting off the patrons, she ordered a beer. The room had died down a bit when she'd walked in but the accordion struck up again and the lively raucous resumed. Lara sat on her own. She had planned to get Jack drunk enough to tell her about the other pirate lords. However, Jack had an enormous tolerance towards alcohol so this method would probably take more time than she had. And of course, he had to go and yell at her. Jack Sparrow spent too much of his time getting the better of other people, he had to have someone get the better of him. Her second plan was to steal—

Her thoughts were cut off by a loud, giant of a pirate behind her, yelling crude words that were no doubt directed at her. She ignored it however, when it happened right next to her ear and this time was accompanied by her arse getting squeezed she could no longer ignore it and even if she had of wanted to, she wouldn't. She turned around to face the pirate in the face. He was huge and battle scarred. But dumb, obviously dumb and slow and so Lara realised she had an advantage.

"What's the matter pretty lady, don't you like it rough?" he sneered at her. His intent was pretty obvious. If he couldn't have her by choice then he'd have her by force. He reached forward to grab her but Lara moved fast, doubling his arm around into a very painful hold.

"What the fuck did you call me?" she yelled. Sometimes, Lara felt using a low, dangerous voice could command more attention. In this instance, she felt that screaming would help release some of the tension she had acquired since waking up in the locker. The whole bar fell deathly silent now and turned to watch the scene. They could believe their eyes. A five-foot-eight woman with long red hair and odd clothes had a sven foot giant, vicious pirate in a hold that looked impossible to escape from. The pirate didn't reply, lashing out at her legs, trying to break free. Lara let go, darted behind him and came back to face him. He was still looking for her whereabouts, not realizing she was in front of him. He finally turned to face her and couldn't comprehend what he saw. Mainly, he didn't have time because suddenly, a fist smashed into his nose but some of it was hereditary. He was one of the humans that hadn't evolved past the stage Homo erectus. Furthermore, even if he had begun to wonder how the woman could have moved in front of him so fast, that thought was destroyed by the same fist jabbing at his solar plexus, a foot that also belonged to the owner of the fist, smashing into his stomach and finally, if he hadn't been doubled up in pain, he might have been able to notice her eyes. As Jack had earlier spotted, her eyes were devoid of any colour whatsoever. The pirate dropped to the floor, breaking a chair on the way down.

The bar was silent. Lara walked out of it, not a scratch on her. She stood in the street looking for another bar. Another person walked out. It was Jack Sparrow, formerly known as Captain Jack Sparrow.

While Jack was watching the fight, like the majority of the occupants in the bar, he honestly couldn't believe what had happened. He knew she was violent, but this was beyond violence. Picking a fight with a seven foot pirate was bordering on suicidal. The thought he'd had on the Endeavour, that he'd want to be on her side was re-instated. She turned and saw Jack standing there.

"I need you to take me to Shipwreck Cove, Jack." Her eyes glinted in the low light that lined Tortuga's streets, telling him she wasn't entirely herself. Jack raised his eyebrows at her.

"Firstly, I haven't got a ship to take you there and secondly, a bunch of squabbling pirates isn't going to solve anything so why would I want to go?" Jack asked, hardly realizing he was mimicking the words Beckett had said to him. Lara looked thoughtful. Jack hated it when she looked thoughtful. She was intelligent enough to think up ideas that he wouldn't be able to argue with.

"What if you did have a ship?" she asked.

"I still wouldn't go to Shipwreck Cove," he replied adamantly.

"What if _I_ got you your ship?" she asked again. Jack's eyes narrowed as she grinned at him, an unprecendted event.

"You couldn't possibly know where it is," he scoffed.

"Actually I do. But I will only get it for you _if_ you take me to shipwreck cove." Jack hesitated. "Jack, I know you like deals that save your own skin. You don't have a ship at this present point and time; I could disarm you in three seconds, strip you of anything valuable and take your ship as my own." She took a step towards her and Jack found himself believing her words very much. "Or, I find you your ship, you take me to shipwreck cove and then we part, never to meet again."

"I like that option much better," Jack mumbled and Lara laughed.

"Of course you do. Now, if you wouldn't mind," she said, pushing past him. She traversed the street to another pub, the _Ugly Betty_.

"What are you doing?" he aked, aware of what happened last time she walked into a tavern. She lifted a bottle full of rum that she had snuck out of the _Green Dragon._

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When in Tortuga…" She swigged the bottle, leaving Jack standing there. She faintly heard him as she walked off.

"I've never been to Rome."


	8. The aimless wanderings of Jack Sparrow

**Edited: 15/08/12**

The last Jack had seen of Lara was her merrily walking the streets of Tortuga. The last way Jack had _found_ Lara was following the path of destruction she left. He wasn't worried about her; he was worried about the people who met her. The woman was a liability. _Not my problem_, he thought, except he realised, it was. Without Lara, there was no ship and without his beloved _Pearl,_ he was stuck among drunken looters and good-for-nothing pirates. He continued to walk the busiest street in Tortuga. It bustled with women, men and animals. A woman in a faded crimson dress with red hair walked up to him. His first thought was of how dull it seemed compared to the vibrant colour of Lara's hair. In his next thought, he realised that it was Scarlett. Whenever Scarlett was around, usually Giselle was too and that usually led to having both sides of his face burning with the palm prints. However, Scarlett appeared not to want to hit him and the pretty blonde was nowhere to be seen.

"Seen your new piece of ass around. Am I not good enough for you anymore, Jackie?" she slurred, clearly drunk. Jack stepped out of the way, although not with distaste. Liquor was something most whores lived for when they couldn't find lodging or food. However, she'd seen Lara.

"And who might 'my new piece of ass' be, Scarlett?" Jack asked, humouring her despite already knowing the answer."

"The red head. The violent red head with the strange clothes. What disease ridden foreign port did you pick _her_ up from?"

"Singapore," Jack said wryly. Scarlett raised her eyebrows but she didn't reply.

"Hmm. Well, I'm off," she told him, smirking saucily. Jack shrugged, indifferent to her ways and turned to continue on the well-worn path. "Oh, and Jack?" Jack paused for a moment before turning to back, only to have a small hand connect firmly with his face. He cursed and she smirked even wider before flouncing off.

Jack was left in a no better position than he was before. He needed to find Lara so he decided to continue down the main street. Someone was bound to have seen her. In her clothes, she'd stick out like a sack of gold and it wasn't like she wasn't pretty either. But beware the man who tried to pick her up because _she'd_ be more likely to pick him up and chuck her halfway across the street. Jack realised he'd used the wrong word. Pretty implied delicate, lady like flower beauty, someone more like Elizabeth and pretty much the opposite of Lara. But Lara wasn't what would be considered traditionally beautiful, even in her own world. She had an exotic sort of sensual look, unusual and vibrant. The clothes she wore didn't help much in Jack's thoughts. Most woman, Scarlett and Giselle and every other whore on the island of Tortuga excluded, wore modest dresses with jackets. Jack couldn't help but notice that Lara's tight fitting clothes hugged her every curve.

Jack wandered aimlessly through Tortuga. One would think with his fame, everyone would be jumping for an autograph. But no, everyone just dismissed him as a mangy stray, one who'd strayed from the beaten tracks, a looter, a thief, a blacksmith turned pirate. Jack admitted to himself that everyone on Tortuga was one of these things at the least before realising that he'd had enough. At the age of eight, when he first visited Tortuga, the danger and betrayal had been alluring. But now, it had tarnished and dulled, and the only thing that still gleamed brightly was the lanterns lighting the murky streets. As Jack looked up, he noticed that even they were fading. He looked around but didn't recognize his surroundings, frowning as he did so. He had a near photographic memory and it was unlike him not to know any part of Tortuga. The narrow buildings seemed to lean in on him. It brought back a memory

_The sword gleamed. Jack reached for it, then hesitated as the gold called for him, it's allure far too strong to resist. Even at a young age he saw something was not right. A ghostly figure rose up and the walls collapsed in around him._

Jack felt a hand being laid on his shoulder. He was so caught up in his memories, he barely had time to react as he spun, his hand going directly to his sword. The material he brushed wasn't coarse or fraying and that allowed Jack to relax in his stance a little. It was the stretchy nylon type clothing that Lara had been wearing, therefore it could only be Lara. But as Jack came face to face with a person who was certainly not Lara, he remembered Major Ryan Rolfe. And with Major Ryan Rolfe came an entire division of marines.

"Sparrow," Rolfe began with a smirk. "We would like to escort you somewhere more… private." His tone was cold but Jack could still hear the same American quality in his voice that Lara's had. Cringing at the lack of his title, Jack glanced around theatrically.

"We're in a deserted alley in Tortuga. How much more private can you get?" Jack asked sarcastically. Rolfe sneered at him in reply.

"Nevertheless, you will come with us or there will be dire consequences," he ordered, before he began to walk, nodding to his marines. They closed in around Jack tightly, forcing him to move or be forced to move. Jack moved.

"Well as long as the consequences are _dire_I'm fine with it. In fact, I _want_ to be here," he muttered as he walked.


	9. Unit Black Hawke

**Edited: 15/08/2012**

Meanwhile, Lara was also roaming through the deserted alleys of Tortuga but for a completely different reason. She wasn't looking to get away from anything, she was looking to find something. She was looking for the _Black Pearl_. She glanced at the only thing she'd taken from the ship: the black bag that contained extra magazines, her Maghook and a locator. The other half of the locator was stowed safely in the barrel of a cannon on the very thing she was searching for. Lara slowed her pace to study the locator properly. She couldn't figure out where it was because the modern technology hadn't adapted to the older location. The _Black _Pearl was in the water, but a large black shadow that Lara guessed was Tortuga seemed to be close. She heard a noise behind her and became instantly alert. Footsteps grew closer but before the shadowy figure that was rippling along the wall became visible, Lara took action. Grabbing the bag, she leapt into the air, simultaneously grabbing and firing her Maghook at a metal bar protruding from the roof of a nearby building. The footsteps hurried and Lara got just enough glimpse of the profile to realize it was a woman. Without thinking on it any longer, Lara hoisted herself up and rolled across the roof. She surveyed the glittering ocean, the smoky town, raucous noise faintly echoing to the outskirts. Lara proceeded to run and dive off the roof, angling her body so she cut cleanly into the water. The water was warm, much warmer than the Atlantic Ocean in summer. As she surfaced, she noticed an odd scene: a man was being ushered along a well-worn track by other men. The 'Other Men' looked suspiciously familiar in stance. Keeping in the water and staying as silent as possible, Lara swum as close to the bank until she could hear talking.

"Something to say, Sparrow?" a male voice said in a lazy South Carolina drawl. Lara almost splashed with shock. The voice and the name were far too familiar. Jack Sparrow, the infamous Jack Sparrow, had allowed himself to be caught and this time by the man she now hated the most in the world.

Up on dry land, the place where Jack was most uncomfortable, he was slouching along behind Rolfe, muttering to himself. It was resplendent of Jack's mutterings in the locker.

"Not only does an incredibly feisty woman who can beat me up appear in my once peaceful world, she has to bring with her a whole platoon of soldiers with far superior weapons…"

Jack trailed off as he looked out to the water, hoping to catch a glimpse of his beloved _Pearl_. While he didn't see it, he noticed an abnormal ripple along the water. It seemed to be following their progress. He glanced around the company, but Stone was striding purposefully along and the rest of the men were looking at Jack. Behind the ripple, the light refracted showing that there was a large shape moving and probably causing the ripple. It seemed to be coming closer to the surface. As Jack peered through the fog, trying to create a recognizable shape out of the obscure shadow, he was shoved sideways.

"Keep your eyes ahead," one of the marines ordered in a brisk tone. He tried to glance back but the shadow was gone. Rolfe's footsteps resounded off the pavement but Jack thought he could hear dripping water and a lighter tread. _Strange_ he thought _Even in the locker I never heard imaginary voices or noises except for my own_

Rolfe walked up to the door way of a ramshackle old house. His hand was poised to knock but before he could, the door slammed into his face and he fell to the ground, stunned. The marines seemed to collectively draw back as the door swung open further, to reveal a silhouette of a woman.

"Evans?"

"That's _Captain_ Evans to you," she replied, in the style of a certain pirate. The marines all stood to attention. The one who had spoken before now stepped forward.

"Lieutenant Andrew Fitzgerald reporting for duty, Captain," he said, saluting her smartly. Lara grinned and saluted him back before laughing lightly.

"At ease, Fitzgerald." Jack was watching the strange ritual with increasing confusion. He stepped forward, holding his hands up to cease the conversation.

"Let's just back track a minute or so, aye? You know them… and they know you," Jack said, pointing at each party. "And they are _not_ loyal to him?" he asked, pointing at the unconscious Rolfe.

"Of course," Lara said, rolling her eyes as if it was obvious. "These are my men. Unit Black Hawke. I told you about it in the locker."

"We were never loyal to them, we were trying to find you, Captain," a tall man from the back called in an even more peculiar accent than Lara's.

"I believe you, Carey. Rolfe has become a nasty piece of work, already teaming up with Beckett from this realm," she told them, addressing the man who had spoken by name. Jack didn't bother to ask how when all the marines showed complete understanding as to whom Beckett was. "There's a place about three blocks up we need to get to. Go the back way to avoid a tail," she ordered the man who introduced himself as Lieutenant Andrew Fitzgerald. He nodded before he began to run. The marines followed instantly, tailed by Lara. After a moment's hesitation, Jack followed them, arms floundering, legs flicking out. Without breaking her stride, Lara called back.

"Glad to see you can keep up, Sparrow," she said, smirking.

"You run like a girl," he retorted, glaring at her slightly.

"You would know."


	10. How to handle a sword

**Edited: 15/08/2012**

The group's jog slowed as they began to re-enter the main town of Tortuga. She talked to her second-in-command, ignoring Jack who was trailing along just behind them

"I need to change," she told Fitzgerald and Jack's eyebrows shot up.

"By all means, do it in front of me," he suggested, winking at her. Lara made a disgusted noise and whacked him across the back of his head.

"I meant change my appearance. In these clothes, with this hair, Rolfe will find me in no time," she clarified. Fitzgerald quickly nodded and spoke.

"You have two options. One, you can scrub up and become a stately lady, which might be slightly inconvenient while you're here, Captain," he told her, a smile ghosting across his face. Lara rolled her eyes and motioned for him to continue. "Or, you can become a pirate." Lara appraised the man, pursing her lips. Jack leaned forward, looking highly offended.

"Excuse me, good man, if I may interject; neither of those options are possible. She cannot pass for a lady, that much is certain," he said with a snort. And her? A pirate? Now, that is something I would like to see."

"Don't challenge me Sparrow," Lara cautioned, her voice low and silky. "I've beaten you twice, I'll do it a third time round." She walked from the main street down a side alley. However, this one remained close enough to still be lit by the main street.

Jack sat on the ground, amongst the marines, looking at his compass, knowing it wouldn't work to find his beloved _Pearl_, knowing that it would only point in whatever direction Lara was. Jack had trouble fooling himself. She was infuriating and intriguing all at once and he wanted her. What Captain Jack Sparrow wanted, he usually got.

Lara undid her hair and let it trail down her back as she turned to Fitzgerald. Andrw Fitzgerald had been in her unit before she had been promoted Captain. He had been nineteen when he'd joined the army, and Lara could only see him as a little brother.

"What do we need, Andrew?" she asked him.

"We need to get you out of those clothes and we need to change your face, probably your hair." Lara paused in her pacing, something she constantly did to think. Despite joining the army, Lara had retained her femimnitiy in her looks, if not some of her actions. She didn't think she could ever part with her hair. Her hair was one of the things she trusted to define her as a woman.

"Andy," she began, very slowly and methodically. "I am not cutting my hair. The very least I will do is run a colour through it…" Andrew nodded as she trailed off, expecting nothing less.

A marine parted company that night and a pirate returned. She stood in front of all, wearing battered leather boots that came up to her mid-calves, and tight fitting pants. Over her chest she wore a tank top from underneath her fatigues, but over it, a loose red blouse, the colour her hair used to be. She now wore a cross at her neck and her hair was black, twisted under a tricorne hat. The marines whistled appreciatively and Jack stared. She looked... like a pirate. So much that he was shocked into just staring until Lara winked at him.

"So Sparrow," she began, sauntering up to him where he was still seated on the ground. "You're going to need to teach me how to handle a sword," she said when she was right in front of him. A low chuckle ran through the group at her suggestive comment. Jack appraised her with a smirk, before nimbly leaping up.

"Stand with your legs apart," he commanded, now his turn to wink and smirk. The group responded accordingly as Lara ignored him. Lara followed his orders, immediately and correctly, having been trained to do so her whole life. Jack teased forwards, sliding his sword the length of hers. Her sword was a beauty, an ornate handle giving a strong grip and most definitely stolen. Lara spun and smashed her blade against his with more force than was needed. He darted out of the way and returned with equal strength. He parried and swung at Lara, who ducked and rolled. However, while she was agile, she was no match for his swordsmanship. She moved in close to him and blocked his blade with one of her pistols, laughing as she yanked it out of her holster. She walked backwards, using the wall for leverage and dived beside him. Jack spun and pointed the blade at her and Lara tried to evade it but found she couldn't

"Dead," he said, pointing the blade at her breast. Lara stopped moving, her heavy breathing alerting Jack to the fact that her shirt had come undone Jack unconsciously took a step closer to her so their bodies were almost touching.

"But very well played love," he said in a low voice, meant only for her to hear. Lara stayed frozen in front of him for a moment, before stepping out of his company. The marines hooted and clapped for her as she turned to face them, but not before dropping Jack one last comment.

"I can play it better."


	11. The Tales of Two Captains

**Edited: 15/08/12**

They all stayed in a nearby ale house that night. Lara strode in confidently. She knew that a platoon of marines and a wanted pirate would attract attention anywhere else, but not Tortuga. She let them run free, provided they returned to meet her in the morning. She walked up to the bar and ordered a bottle of rum, choosing to remain. Jack slid into a seat beside her.

"Do you have a plan?" he queried. Lara glanced across to him, her face once again blank and emotionless.

"No, I don't have a plan. Do you?" she retorted.

"Not in the slightest... I tend to improvise," he informed her smugly, causing Lara to roll her eyes.

"Of course you do, because it wouldn't do to let anyone know you actually _can_ plan," she retorted sarcastically.

"No it would not," Jack agreed unnecessarily. Lara ignored him once again and slid her hand around the body of the bottle of rum.

"Have I ever told you I hate you?" she asked, in a more curious tone than venomous. "Because you are truly one of the most infuriating people I've ever met. It wouldn't be hard to hate you."

"Hate me?" Jack asked, smirking and lifting his bottle of rum to his lips. "Love, you don't know me. Something I might be willing to change," he said in lowered tone. "But listen, Lara," he began, addressing her by her first name, something her did rarely. "What if you can't get back?" he asked. She looked down to the dirty bar top, a slight frown dancing across her face.

"That's not an option." She placed her now empty bottle of rum on the bench, staying silent. Jack just looked at her, until she felt his gaze upon her.

"What?" she asked, reluctantly drawing her eyes away from the bottle.

"Can you just explain to me why you're here? How you're here? I've been trying for a good week or two to understand and I'm not able to understand anything you're saying," he said. It was one of the most measured things Lara had ever heard him say. She nodded slowly, trying to piece the events together herself.

"I was on a mission in Russia, which is located east of England, in the snow country," she began, and from the tone of her voice, Jack could tell it was going to be a long story. "We'd been sent to get plans about a nuclear research facility," she said, ignoring his blank look, before sighing. "I suppose that's the equivalent of Sao Feng's charts," she adapted and smirked as Jack showed small signs of comprehension.

"I was on ground patrol. All I had to do was get back to the helicopter where my team was waiting for me. A helicopter…" Lara trailed off, at a loss for words. "It's like a giant, flying ship. But I climb into the helicopter, and we're just about to take off, and the Russians fire on us. Grenades, really heavy duty weapons," she said, shuddering at the memory.

"The helicopter exploded with me and my team in it," she said, shrugging. "And I woke up here. I thought maybe I was in some sort of dream, but I can, hurt, I can eat, I can taste. And then when Rolfe" she spat his name, "was found here as well, I figured it out." There was a long pause before she looked up to meet his eyes again. "Have you ever heard of a near death experience, Jack?" she asked, titling her head. Jack, who had been engrossed in her tale, seemed a bit startled by the question.

"No. What is it?"

"Well, it's largely believed to be a myth, but when a human is close enough to death, they can escape through another reality, another avenue of life. I don't know why my mind chose Pirates of the Caribbean. There are many other movies I love" she said shrugging.

"So, what you're _actually_ trying to say is we're not real. I'm not real," Jack stated, sounding severely disappointed by this fact. Lara laughed, unable to help herself.

"Of course you're not real, Jack. This entire world you live in is a franchise, a movie series made off a ride at a theme park," she said. "You're entirely fictional."

"Love, I'm basically fictional here as well, I'm that much of a legend," Jack said, trying to look on the bright side. Lara laughed and signalled for more rum after she watched Jack do so. Time to test if she really could drink anyone under the table.

"I'm sure, Captain Sparrow," she replied, her eyes glittering. "But what _exactly_ are you legendary about, I wonder." Jack wondered how her eyes could seem so dangerous at times and so suggestive at others.

"How about I tell you a tale of my own?" he offered, feeling he was beginning to play a dangerous game.

"If you can tell it well enough," she challenged.

"I was trapped on an island with only a single-" he began before Lara cut him off.

"I know it." Lara winked cockily as Jack's mouth dropped open.

"What do you mean 'you know it'?" he demanded, sounding incredulous.

"Barbossa committed a mutiny against you after you revealed the location of the Isle de Meurda," she told him, thoroughly enjoying herself. "Left you on the island with a single shot in the pistol. For three days, you lay on the beach drinking run before bartering your way aboard the rum runner's ship." Jack looked severely put out.

"I would have told it much better than that," he protested, making Lara laugh again.

"Oh I highly doubt it, Captain Sparrow. But continue, please, I'm curious as to see you'll have any tales to tell."

"How about the time I vanished from under the eyes of seven agents of the East India Trading Company" Jack asked, his hand drifting subconsciously towards the brand of a pirate.

"Heard that one too. You were wearing the same uniform as them underneath and pulled your other clothes off, allowing you to disappear without being questioned," she said. Jack twirled his beard around his finger.

"Hmmm. How about the time I sacked Nassau port without firing a single shot?"

"I know the story. I don't know how you did it though," she mused thoughtfully as she watched his reactions closer. He smirked, looking triumphant for a moment, before his face fell.

"Truth is... I didn't have my gun on me. I didn't fire a single shot because I couldn't" he said. Lara stared at him disbelievingly.

"How can you not have a gun on you, Sparrow?" They continued through the night, Jack thinking up his adventures, and Lara telling him what they were before he could tell them. After another two bottles of rum, Jack turned to Lara.

"I know you have to be the captain of a ship. You have to swear by the pirate code. And you must've killed a man," she said in response to his latest story. "And the sparrow tattoo there," she said, pointing to his arm. "That represents that you've sailed on all seven seas."

"Is there anything you don't know?"

"That would've been the smart question to ask in the beginning, Jack."

"Just... is there?" Jack asked, expecting to hear silence as an answer.

"How did you get the _Pearl_?" Lara asked quietly. Jack looked at her in surprise.

"I was just 25 years old," Jack began, his tone equally as quiet, as if it pained him to speak of it. "There was a ship called the _Fair Wind_. And there was a woman. There's always a woman." He paused, taking another drink of his rum, his eyes hollow. "I saved a ship from being looted by pirates. The East India Trading Company was in my favour," he said, smiling as if this amused him.

"A certain Cutler Beckett offered me a job but I refused to sail a slave ship. He gave me the _Wicked Wench_ instead."

"Wait. You weren't always a pirate? You were in the navy?" Lara asked, shocked.

"I was once on the straight and narrow, love," he told her, his tone now edging more towards the bitterness Lara herself had experienced. "I sailed that ship, and I sailed her well. But that wasn't enough for the young director. He wanted the location of Kerma, the illusion isle," he said. Lara leaned forward, entranced.

"And I, being the charming helpful person I am, didn't give it to him. So he ordered to have me sail to New Avalon with cargo, that cargo being slaves. Well, I wasn't having any of that. I took the slaves to Kerma, and the Pharaoh gave them asylum. I sailed away, my ship empty."

"Beckett was not happy. He ordered bounty hunters to find me. I was arrogant in my youth, and I didn't have quite enough wisdom. I was caught," Jack said, sighing heavily. "In front of me, they burned my ship. The ship I'd captained for years. The ship that represents all I stood for and all I stand for." There was a silence in the ale house. Not even the wooden beams were creaking.

"What do you stand for?" Lara asked when he didn't go on, reluctantly as if she didn't want to break his train of thought.

"Freedom. I stand for freedom, love. I escaped and I tried to save her but I got trapped in the cabin of a sinking burning ship."

"So how are you here?" Lara asked, echoing Jack's earlier questions.

"I've come back from the dead more than once, love. I made a deal with the Devil. Which is where you found me the second time: Hell." Lara nodded, she knew this part.

"Davy Jones raised your ship from the depths. Thirteen years as captain, and then you had to give him your soul, right?" she asked.

"Aye love. I christened her the _Black Pearl,_ and here we are." Lara blinked slowly, in shock.

"Your story telling wins, I do believe," she admitted, raising her bottle to him . "But you sold your soul for a ship?"

"Aye love," Jack said, smirking as he lifted his bottle and clinked it against hers before they both drained the last of the rum. "It's a pirate's life for me."


	12. The Hangover

Many more stories had been exchanged over the night, becoming more elaborate the drunker they got. Well, the drunker Lara got. Jack seemed to be in a perpetually inebriated state so consuming copious amounts of alcohol didn't quite affect him like it did the marine. The result of Lara's trying to keep up with Jack was the mother of all hangovers. Every movement felt like a grain of sand being ground into her brain with a mallet. She slit her eyes open slightly, the dim light filtering into the dingy room causing her to blink and swear. She struggled to sit up, trying to recall where she was. _Tortuga._ She groaned as she went to move out of bed, her head throbbing but her limbs weren't functional yet. She stumbled onto the wooden floor, cursing.

"Fucking pirates!" she yelled, before pulling herself together and standing. The room swum in and out of her vision as she tripped again, trying to steady herself. A small, wooden room containing only a bed appeared as she blinked her emerald eyes. She was still in her pirate attire, as she had been for the last couple of days. After the dip in the sea surrounding Tortuga, she was beginning to smell like one. The colour was returning to her red hair, she noticed as she ran her fingers through it, smiling as she made her way over to the window. She winced as she pulled the curtains open, taking in the dirty street beneath her, the drunken men passed out along the alleyway. Her watch had long stopped working but the sun was not yet high in the sky. Early morning, around 10AM- time to leave. She pulled a piece of fabric that had been used to tie the curtains back and twisted it around her hair. She was glad there were no mirrors in the room as she walked out to the door. There was eight marines under her care. It was nothing new to her but in an unfamiliar surrounding with complicated objectives; it might be more difficult than she was used to. "Rise and shine, boys!" she called as she pushed open her door and called from the landing. She could tell from the view out of her window she was on the top floor, the third floor. Rather than her slow exit out of her own room, the marines appeared instantly, bright eyed and in an orderly group on the floor below.

"Reporting for duty, Captain Evans." Lara's eyes searched the dim surroundings before they landed on Fitzgerald. She could tell by the smirk he wore that he knew her condition perfectly well. She ignored him; she'd been faced with a hangover and a bunch of soldiers before. One of the things she'd noticed in the pirate world is that women were treated as equals to the men. It was survival of the fittest and Lara was pretty damn fit. In the army, despite working to attain her position, their eyes had always slid over to her. She was nothing more than a pretty girl with a slightly prettier brain to people like Rolfe. But here, appearance came second to anything else. After all, many a lad had been tricked by a pretty smile. It was a form of survival in itself, but not one Lara was planning on using.

She made her way down the stairs slowly, her mind whirring. She had to find Jack's bloody boat for him, but she also needed to know exactly why the marines had been able to follow her through to the Golden Age of Piracy. She stumbled slightly on the bottom step, before recovering her posture, her cheeks flushing slightly red.

"Stand down, men," she told them as she arrived in front of them.

"Sorry, Captain Evans, would you like us to stand down or _trip_ down?" This time it wasn't Fitzgerald, but Will Chang, an Asian-American man. She'd known him for six months now. She'd learnt he enjoyed reading romance novels and could beat any of them hands down at cards, including herself. When Lara realised this, she also realised she'd become the sort of Captain she'd wanted to be. She knew each member of her team. She knew their strong points and their weak points. She would die for any of them in battle and she knew they would do the same for themselves and herself.

"I believe it's custom here to have insubordinates whipped," Lara replied sternly to the shorter man but her eyes glittered with amusement. "Now gentlemen. I believe it's time for a talk." She gestured a roughly hewn table in the far corner. The platoon moved as one, crowding around the table and huddling in close.

"Why are we here?" asked Tim Kent, a blonde 22-year-old from Florida. Lara took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to formulate a reply for herself as much as for her team.

"What an awfully existential question for such an early time." The voice wasn't one she recognized from hearing in training after trainings. No, Lara recognized this voice from her TV screen. Here in this world, Jack's voice lost the tinny quality it had. Here in this world, Jack's voice sounded real because _he_ was real. Her eyes flickered open to see Jack leaning over Chang's shoulder. "And we should really explore it a little more." He paused, smirking and holding up a finger. "By 'here' are you referring to the world? Or possibly this part of the world, which your lovely leader tells me is not the norm for you lot. And as for your purpose here?" He lent even further forward, winking at Lara. "Possibly some divine goddess heard my prayers and decided to send me Hell in female form."

"I don't recall you being invited to this meeting, Sparrow," Lara said drily, although she was unable to stop the corners of her mouth flicking up. Before she could say anything else. Chang spoke.

"I'd like to ask you to step away from me please, Captain Sparrow." All the teasing tone that had previously been held in Chang's voice was now icy steel. The once comical Asian accent now sounded deadly. Lara was proud of him. He addressed Jack politely yet firmly, by his "proper" title. She wished she had the restraint he had. Jack raised his eyebrows but pulled away from the marine, his dreadlocks and baubles swinging.

"Actually, he may as well stay now, Chang," Lara said authoritatively after a moment. Jack smirked and opted to lean against the wall instead of sitting. "In answer to your question, Kent... I have several theories. We were all in Russia on the same mission at the same time." The marines nodded collectively. "Major Rolfe sent me ahead and the helicopter exploded. The next thing I remembered was waking up in the locker." Like most marines, Lara was adept at lying. However, she felt slightly uncomfortable with Jack's eyes on her. There was no unease throughout the marines though, and Lara continued. "I thought I was here on my own, until I met Major Rolfe." Previously, she would have addressed him as Ryan but the time for that was long gone. "I believe we are all in a near death experience."

"A what?" Lara sighed, knowing that her explanation was about to get a whole lot harder. Brian Carey was one of the more religious men in their group. And by more religious, she meant he carried a bible in his pocket. "Because there is only death, Captain Evans," he said in a slow, drawling southern accent, meeting her eyes unflinchingly. "And after death, there is Heaven or there is Hell. And this sure ain't Heaven." A few chuckles ran through the group.

"Well, that fits with my theory then," Jack said, his voice low and teasing. Lara ignored him again.

"We could be in a coma. There could be multiple dimensions!" Lara said, shrugging. "We could have ended up in _Lord of the Rings _or _Avatar _for all I know. I don't know why we are here. I don't know how. But I know that while we _are_ here, there are some priorities we need to maintain." Lara stood, leaning forward and placing her knuckles on the table. "Number One: We need to stay aware. We need to stay sharp and we need to stay observant." Agreement ran through the group. This was something they could all understand. "Number Two: We need to return Captain Sparrow's boat to him."

"I can't believe you mentioned the word priorities and then my _ship_ second to something else," Jack said, his voice disgusted. Lara smirked at him, getting her own back.

"Number Three: We need to figure out if there are any more of us here. We re-group and then we get the hell out of here." She grinned at all of them, feeling the current of energy running through all of them. She reached into the inside of her shirt, pulling out a map. Sometime before she was too drunk, she'd managed to palm it off Jack. He recognized it, his eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly but he said nothing as she spread it on the table. It was nothing like the map they'd used to return from the locker. It was merely an ordinary map, with the entire world as they knew it then, painstakingly sketched and drawn over in ink on cream coloured parchment. It was possibly the furthest you could get from the crisp, efficient military grid maps with their lines and divisions. And for the first time in her life, Lara found herself wondering what she liked more.


	13. The Meaning of Chaos

Soon after the discussions began, Lara pulled out her communicator. She had placed the other end of the beacon in the _Black Pearl_ while she had been down in the brig. She had no idea how it was still managing to work, but Kent reasoned that it was a simple connection between the locator and the beacon. They had to transfer the location from the locator onto the map in front of them; that was the tricky part. The co-ordinates were out and so Lara truly had no idea where the ship was. It was Chang who hit upon the idea of making a radius and have Jack ascertain whether the ship was on the island. Jack suddenly proved to be more helpful when it was his ship they were trying to find. He provided sextants and compasses and painstakingly, bent over the small table in the grubby inn, Lara, her six Marines and Jack managed to construct a radius of ten miles that the _Black Pearl_ could be in. Tortuga was a small island and so they proved that the ship was still in close proximity to it. They rolled up the map in high spirits and Lara walked up to the bar, a swagger to match her pirate regalia. The black colour was staying in her hair just fine and no one seemed to recognize her. She threw down a handful of coins on the counter and jerked her head at the table where the marines were talking raucously.

The person who served her was a young boy, no more than sixteen. He seemed in awe of Lara as he pushed several flagons of beer across the counter. Lara dropped a few more coins than was needed into the remaining pile and the boy's eyes widened further. Lara smiled as she carried the beers back to her table. She could acquire some more when needed. Survival of the fittest, she reminded herself. Steal or be stolen from. Kill or be killed. She raised the flagon to her lips. Just before she took a sip, the door to the inn burst open.

"Thought you could get away from me, aye?" Apparently Major Ryan Rolfe didn't go down without several fights. There was blood running down the side of his face and his eyes were dark with hatred. Lara was instantly on her feet, her guns levelled at his head.

"Ryan, as much as I would love to kill you, I suggest you leave now." Her marines had moved into formation behind her, covering all exits. Jack leaned back on the wooden chair, smirking. Lara had grown on him a lot, especially since last night. She wasn't someone he could trust but she knew what to do and how to do it and Jack respected that in people. He snorted as he realised she would never be able to be called Evangeline. She was Lara as much as he was Jack.

Rolfe spread his arms, grinning nastily. "Kill me then, Lara. Shoot me dead, you could hearted bitch." His eyes were glittering with something unnatural and Lara realised that he was drunk. How he had managed to find her while intoxicated she did not know, but Ryan Rolfe had always been an exceptional man in all areas except one. She narrowed her eyes further, pulling the safety back on her gun.

"Goodbye Ryan," she said before shooting him. The gun went off with a loud bang and the man fell to the floor. Jack stared at Lara in disbelief. He couldn't believe she actually shot him. He'd seen her shoot men from the Royal Navy, or Tai Huang's men, but someone she knew? However, he realised that blood was only pouring from his shoulder. The wound was non-fatal. The girl was smart.

"We're moving," Lara said, gesturing for someone to gather the map and various other equipment's before she walked over the door, taking care to step on Rolfe's injured shoulder. He groaned before blacking out from the pain as Lara pushed the door open. The moment she did, she was grabbed too fast for even her to react. Her captor was a small Asian woman, much smaller than Lara herself, but she had her in some sort of lock.

"I am escorting Captain Evans away from your company," she intoned, her accent stronger than Chan's. Lara struggled in her arms but was unable to get free. "Do not attempt to rescue her or you will get hurt." The marines all looked at each other before advancing on the woman, spreading out around her in a circle. However, they failed to realise a larger group of regimented Asians had in turn, circled them. Lara realised that her team could die if they tried to save her here. They only had guns with bullets, and bullets eventually ran out. The Asian pirates had swords and they were eternal.

"Men, back down," she said, her voice quiet as one the woman's arms rested against her windpipe. None of her men moved, their eyes darting around frantically. "I said _back down!_ That's an order!" Slowly and reluctantly, the men holstered their weapons and moved to stand in front of the entrance to the alehouse, unintentionally covering Jack from the Asians. The woman holding Lara jerked her slightly and Lara pulled in the opposite direction, managing to break free for a second. However, the larger group of Asian men quickly grabbed her and tied her wrists with ropes.

"Do not expect to see your Captain again," the woman said before the group moved. They seem to meld with the darkness and were soon lost from sight. The use of the word Captain to apply to Lara seemed to show that they knew exactly who she was.

"She said back down… but for how long?" James Fitzgerald asked his group before turning. "You! Sparrow! Do you know who they were?" Jack shook his head grimly. Any hope of getting his ship back was gone and these men clearly mourned the loss of Lara.

"We have to find his ship." The voice was one Jack hadn't heard before. If Lara had of been there, she would have introduced him as Collin Palmer. Palmer was quiet, choosing to leave the talking to others. If he said something, it was always listened to. "We find his ship and then we find her. Our other option is to go running rampantly through the streets of Tortuga, hoping we might stumble across Lara," he said, his eyes meeting Fitzgerald's. Fitzgerald looked away, indicating that this had been his first plan of attack. "Clearly, these people are professionals and have need of Lara. We need to find something they want more." He seemed to be working some sort of plan through his head. "We have several options; find and blackmail or find and infiltrate. I believe Chan could easily pass for one of them. If he managed to gather information, we could retrieve Lara. Or we find out what they want and acquire it. For all this to happen, we need his ship. And we need to follow our Captain's last wishes." This was the most amount of speaking the team had ever heard Palmer say.

"Men, we are moving out," Fitzgerald said authoratively, assuming position as leader as Lara's second in command. "Sparrow, you are included in that. If you attempt to leave our company, we will injure or kill you to stop you. Do you understand?" Jack wondered if all marines were this violent or if Lara had specially trained these ones to be.

"Aye, I understand," he replied, his face unreadable. Fitzgerald nodded before he turned and began to walk down the narrow alleyway that led to the inn.

Lara was shoved along, forced the walk in the middle of the group. Her bound hands were rubbing against the rope, causing her pain.

"Who are you and what do you want?" she demanded. A man snapped at her in a foreign, Asian sounding language.

"I don't fucking speak Chinese, you dumb fuck," she retaliated. The woman who had captured her smirked, amused.

"We are not Chinese, Captain Evans," she told her enigmatically. "We are from Singapore. Does that give you a clue as to who we are and what we want?"

"Sao Feng," Lara breathed. "Sao Feng sent you… But why? Why would you want me? I'm of no use to you."

"We believe you are… Eris." Lara groaned aloud, unable to believe this.

"Eris?" Lara repeated aloud, startled. She recognized the name from Greek mythology, the same place where the figure Calypso had originated from. Eris, however, was the goddess of chaos. "I am not Eris, whoever she is. The goddess who you should be looking for is Calypso and I could tell you right now who the real Calypso is and that way you can be safe when she goes all avenging sea goddess on your asses." The woman smiled enigmatically.

"But of course you are Eris. Red hair, green eyes and a smirk as wicked as Death itself is how you were described before you appeared here. You personify what is chaos. You are Eris."

"I don't have red hair or a smirk as wicked as Death itself! How do you even know what Death looks like?!" Lara took a deep breath, realising she was acting like Jack would. "And I don't do… chaotic things!" Lara protested, feeling far too out of her depth. The movies had ceased to be something for her to rely on now.

"By coming into our world, you have upset the balance of everything, Captain Evans. And that is the most chaotic thing any of us could imagine. Whatever masks you may hide beneath, we know who you are. You are Eris."

**Author's Note: So we finally have some action happening in this chapter! I introduced a new element, as you can read above. The notion of Eris may seem somewhat confusing at the moment but it will be explained and developed. I thought if Calypso could be present, then why not introduce another goddess? Please continue to read and support me as I really appreciate it. **


	14. Bound To This World

Two days later and Lara was still in the company of the enigmatic Singaporean pirates. Three days later and Lara still hadn't managed to escape the company of enigmatic Singaporean pirates. She cynically thought perhaps she was losing her touch. The next thought was even worse – maybe she didn't have a touch in the first place.

"How did you know where to find me?" she asked. She had discovered that they answered some of her questions, smirked at others and left a vast majority unanswered. Lara didn't care for the answer, often enough. All she knew was that she had been held in a small, dark room, being brought meals at random intervals. Lara hadn't eaten anything the first or second time they'd given her food, but the third she'd succumbed to hunger. She figured they wouldn't want to kill her if they had kidnapped her and she needed to keep her strength up if she was going to have any chance at escaping. She had been stripped of everything, including some of her clothes. She had been stripped down to her pants and her tank top. Her boots and shirt had both been removed, making it difficult if she was to escape.

"Your ex-Major has grown sloppy in his time here," the woman who had taken Lara said in clipped English. She sat in front of Lara who was leaning against the back wall. The woman liked to visit Lara and talk to her and taunt her about her current situation. The woman seemed to know more about Lara's past than she herself did right now.

"He told you where I was?" Lara asked.

"No, he merely led us to you," the woman replied.

"I don't understand why I'm here," Lara said, frustrated at this situation. "You tell me I'm Eris, then keep me captive. You tell me you need me but don't tell me what for."

"Patience, Goddess, patience," the woman said with a sly smile. Lara rolled her eyes before she heard her door swinging open. She glanced up to see Sao Feng standing in the doorway and instantly stood straighter. These pirates were being ordered by him so perhaps the key to escaping was getting through Sao Feng. She watched him carefully, knowing full well how his meeting with Elizabeth in her cell had played out. The Asian woman bowed deeply in front of her lord before exiting the room. Sao Feng slowly approached the recently vacated stool but didn't sit. Lara wasn't worried by his approach, despite what she knew could happen.

"Lara Evans is what they call you," he began, folding his hands under his chin.

"It's not what they call me, it's my _name_," Lara replied, unable to stop herself from rolling her eyes. The appreciation of drama as an art form was much higher in the 1600s. At times, Lara felt like she was in a Bond movie. To her surprise, Sao Feng smirked at her, chuckling at something her found amusing.

"Tell me, what is your nationality, Lara Evans?" he asked and Lara titled her head slightly. It was the first time she had been asked this question since waking up in the locker.

"The United States of America. You know, the country above the Caribbean?" she said flippantly.

"I see," Sao Feng said. "And what would you say it is you ah… do?" The question was accompanied by a wave of his hand and Lara raised her eyebrows a little.

"I guess no one would understand if I said I wanted my lawyer present," she said sardonically. Sao Feng, despite not understanding the joke, did not look amused at her comment. Lara figured answering her questions wouldn't hurt her getting out of here faster. She had to wait for a break because it was clear that she wasn't going to be released anytime soon.

"I'm a Marine. Captain of a reconnaissance unit in the United States Marine Corps," she stated simply. Here, Sao Feng smirked at her again.

"Do you not mean you _were_ a marine, Lara Evans?" he asked and Lara shook her head instantly.

"I am a marine," she repeated. Sao Feng shook his head slowly, his eyes watching her cruelly and Lara felt the air clench and tighten around her.

"You were a marine and now you are not. Look at yourself," he told her, beginning to circle her. Lara stared at him before looking down at herself. There was nothing different from the last time she checked. He stepped in close to her and placed his hand on her side. She pulled back immediately, snarling at him. He smirked at her once again. "Do not flatter yourself, Lara Evans. I was merely indicating exactly where you should be looking." Lara frowned before she ran her finger down side where he had touched. She felt a slight bump and pulled her shirt up.

"Fuck!" she swore. There was a bullet lodged firmly in her side. She ran her fingers over it cautiously and found that it didn't hurt. The wound was red and inflamed and looking very close to becoming septic. She glanced up at Sao Feng, trying to hide the fear and confusion she felt. The bullet certainly hadn't been there before Sao Feng had pointed it out or if it had, she hadn't noticed it.

"What the fuck is this?" she asked and he shook his head.

"You are no longer of that world, Lara Evans. You are of our world now. We have bound you here." Lara stared at him, not knowing what he meant. She glanced down at the bullet again before dropping her shirt down and rapidly moving towards him. Lara was angry and she needed answers. In her experience, the best way to utilise both of these emotions was violence. She grabbed Sao Feng and pressed him against the wall hard. Her arm came across the front of his neck and her other hand was clenched in a fist, level with his head.

"What does that mean?!" she asked him, her face right in front of his.

"Near. Death. Experience. Your words, not mine, Lara Evans," he told her slowly and her eyes widened, thinking back to the conversation she'd had with her marines. Maybe she was in this world, and dead or in a coma in another. A startling thought crossed her mind; maybe this was all in her head.

"Am I dead?" she asked him quietly. Sao Feng nodded and Lara stepped back, letting him drop to the ground.

"Dead, or almost dead. The same thing really," he said with an airy wave of his hand. He reached into his belt and grabbed the key to unlock the door. Lara didn't react. She was frozen. She was dead. She ripped her shirt off in a frantic panic to reach the bullet again. She ran her finger over the cool metal that was lodged in her skin before she felt a white hot flash of pain. She stumbled, the cell warping in front of her eyes. She stumbled again and fell to the floor.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

_Lara awoke to an incessant noise and bright light. People were surrounding her, people with no mouths. In place of mouths, they had green circles, the same green circles that sat upon their heads. Their voices moved in waves as they moved over her. She tried to sit up but she found she couldn't move. _

"_Pass the scalpel," someone said and Lara struggled to form the word in her mind. Scalpel. What did that mean again? Something cool touched her side, exactly where the bullet was located. Only now, her skin was burning white hot and the metal of this scalpel was brief relief. She tried to cry out but her voice was as silenced as her body was frozen. _

_Beep. Beep. Beep. _

Lara sat up with a gasp. She was lying on the floor of the room where she had been for the last two days. She took in several deep breaths trying to calm herself from what she had just seen. She had to get out of here

* * *

Several hours after Sao Feng had left, the door had been opened a crack and a plate was shoved in. Like the last three times Lara had been given food, the plate contained a lumpy sort of bread with some sort of green vegetable paste inside and a tiny flask of ale. Lara reached for the bread lifting it to her mouth. Just before she bit into it, she tilted her head. Something about the bread smelt off. She ran her fingers over it, looking for any signs of tampering. She opened it and studied the green paste.

"Fuck," she said aloud. She had been so stupid. Many forms of plants were used as hallucinogens in order to scare or disorient prisoners. Lara had gone through an identifying course when they did flora and fauna training at the Marine base. They were told they could recognize the plants from the bitter, acrid smell. Lara placed the bun on the plate before picking up the flask of ale. It smelt only of weak alcohol and so she drunk it.

Lara knew she couldn't leave the bread there. They would realise that she had discovered what the paste did. She could use it to her advantage if they believed she'd eaten it. She glanced around the room, looking for anyway to conceal it. There were no windows – the only light came from the small cracks around the door and a single candle up near the roof, too high for her to reach. She picked up the stool the Asian woman had been sitting on and tipped it over. There was enough room there to conceal the bread so she flipped it upside down and pressed it against the wood, before setting the stool down. Lara kicked the stool but the bread remained firmly lodged against the stool.

Lara retreated to the corner of the room. She drew her knees up to her chest and closed her eyes. All she needed to do now was wait for her chance.

**Author's Note: Well, that took an awfully long time to publish and not a lot happened in this chapter... Whoops! Anyway, it may seem a bit shaky on the details in here. Pretty much, the bullet was never real in the _Pirates_ world, but the magic mushroom plant made Lara think it was. However, the flash to the real world was quite real and that was induced by the plants as well. Lara is not dead in either worlds; she is critically injured in the real world and just normal in the _Pirates_ world. I hope this cleared a few things up and well... Thanks for still reviewing! This chapter is dedicated to Ashi-Grey who was my first reviewer when I started writing again.**

**GoddessOfOlympia.**


	15. Complications

**Author's Note: **Abandoned story says you? Nonsense says I! Hello... Please accept my most humble apologies for not updating for a very long time. Not really sure where this story is going but I like it so I'll keep writing. We see a bit of the Lara/Jack romance come into play in the next chapter, so hopefully you stick around in time for that. I promise, the Eris thing will become clearer (yes, Barbossa does know what's going on) and some old enemies will make an appearance soon.

* * *

It took a lot of patience – something Lara possessed little of – but eventually she got her chance. A full two more days after she'd began abstaining from the bread and her mind was completely clear. She was lucky the ale had remained untainted because she doubted she would have been able to survive and retain her strength for much longer if she continued not eating.

The door opened a crack at midday, the plate descending to the ground as it did every day. This time however, Lara was standing off to the side of the door. She lashed out quickly and wrapped her hand around the arm extending into the door, yanking hard enough to force the person's head crashing into the door. She'd heard conversations just outside the door so she knew there would be backup guards. She had to move quickly.

A Singaporean pirate crashed to the floor of her cell. She heard shouts in a foreign language just outside the door but she ignored them. Lara immediately slid the sword off the now unconscious guard and swung the door open.

She felt uneasy with the sword resting in her palm, and awkward as she moved. It restricted her movements and while she had fought Jack in the alley, she had been severely outmatched by him. Guns were her domain and she knew that she had to at least get them back before she could cause any serious damage.

There were three more pirates standing outside. When Lara exited the cell, they actually laughed at her.

"Oh how far the mighty has fallen," one quoted in English.

Lara swung out at them, the heavy metal object throwing her completely off balance. "No one told me Eris didn't know how to wield a sword."

Lara paused for a moment as she straightened up. The three pirates calmly drew their own swords and began to advance on her. She focused, using the anger she felt at her incompetency and at them laughing at her to burn into something more powerful.

_Use your rage_, she remembered hearing her father say to a group of soldiers he'd presented to when she'd just been little. _Use your rage and you will be able to best your enemies if you focus._ Lara did this now, looking at the situation as a whole.

From her cell room, her surroundings had morphed into a low, narrow passageway. There were similar doors to hers lining the passageway. At the far end, she could see a flight of stairs. The three guards were spread along the passage. The one who had spoken first seemed to be the leader, standing at the front of the group, looking the most at ease.

"I am Li Shen," he said calmly in English. "It will be a great honour to kill you, Lara Evans. I am lucky that honour is not defined by how difficult your opponent is." The two pirates behind him snickered and muttered something in Singaporean.

Lara raised her eyebrows. Was she no longer useful enough to be kept alive. "Are you sure Sao Feng would be happy with you killing me?"

She knew two things; she wasn't very good with a sword and they were. She had to somehow disarm them and manage to get her own weapons in order for her to have the upper hand. She extended her arm, holding the sword tip more aloft but the handle closer to her body. She tried to remember back to both the movies and how she'd seen Jack move in real life, how he shifted his weight to mirror the swords movements through the air.

The leader – a slender Asian pirate - moved effortlessly with his own sword extended. He had a smirk Lara had seen many times on her male friends in the army. It was one that said he would win and he would take pleasure in doing it.

Lara took a step back, towards her cell. She was mindful of her food-deliverer, who was still lying unconscious at this point.

She took a deep breath in.

The pirate advanced.

She exhaled.

The pirate swung his sword.

Lara ran full tilt towards him. In only seconds, she had closed the gap. Moments before his sword would have collided with her chest, she fell to her knees, tucking them under her body. Her momentum allowed her to skid along the stone floor for another five metres, past the surprised pirates. She quickly got to her feet, wincing slightly and returned to running for the stairs. After a moment, she heard a shout before the pirates pursued her.

Her feet pounded up the steps, echoing the beat her heart was making in her chest. She reached the top of the stairs and burst into what looked like a small scale opium den. Hookers lounged across men with blank eyes and a man watched them all with eagle eyes. They barely moved when Lara burst in in a hurry. She made way for the exit, her eyes darting across the room as she ran. At the last moment possible, with the pirates still pursuing her, she wheeled into a side room.

She'd seen swords hanging on the back wall that looked different to the ones wielded by the pirates pursuing her. She had correctly assumed this was the armoury, where prisoners' weapons were kept. Sure enough, her pistols were lying on a bench beside a stack of swords. She discarded the stolen one and turned, bringing her pistols up level with the hammers cocked back as her pursuers entered the room.

"Sorry boys. It's nice to have met you, but I've got to run." She took a step back, amused how she now held the upper hand because neither of them dared to take a step towards her. She navigated her way onto the window ledge and jumped backwards down onto the street.

She glanced up at the window to see the leader – Li Shen – looking down at her, his eyes narrowed and his face unforgiving. _Great_, she thought as she jogged off into the twisted labyrinth of streets that formed Tortuga. _That's three angry pirates after me to date._ Now she had the challenge of finding Jack and her men.

* * *

It didn't take her line to find the centre of Tortuga. It seemed like weeks ago that she'd wandered from pub to pub in a valiant attempt to write herself off. She went to return to the inn that she had been staying at before she'd been taken, but her path was intersected by a man.

She glanced up and managed to conceal her shock when Captain Hector Barbossa appeared in front of her, Jack the monkey perched on his arm. She hadn't seen him since Jack and herself had left the Pearl to explore Tortuga.

"Miss Evans," he drawled. "I need to ask you to accompany me back to the _Pearl._" He was alone, so apparently he was confident in his ability to persuade her to return with him without force.

Lara flicked the hammer off one of her pistols and slid it into the waist band of her fatigues. She missed her holsters. She missed her army gear. She even missed the pirate clothing Jack had outfitted her in. She glanced down at the gun. It read 'Tomb Raider' and she smiled bitterly.

If anyone from her world was to see her now, she was quite sure they wouldn't recognize her. Her face had hollowed out after her fasting and the lack of food she'd had in general while in the locker. Her entire body had slimmed further, and Lara had already been lean and muscly. Her hair was one giant bedraggled mess, streaked with black. She was covered with various welts and cuts and bruises.

The only thing that hadn't changed about her was her eyes. They were as cold and determined as ever. They were harder, yes, but they knew more, contained more knowledge.

Lara Evans had never been a great thinker. She was a tactician, good in action. She didn't know how to scheme and plot her way around; that was a job she left to the pencil-pushers in the army. She lived by moving. Eat or be eaten. Kill or be killed. Right now, Barbossa was offering a place to let her body recover and her mind relax. Maybe he'd even know something about what the Singaporean pirates had said to her.

She eyed him suspiciously, wanting to make sure of his intent before she went with him. "Why do you need me?"

"The pirates are gathering at ship wreck cove and I'm certain that you'll want to be present there." The way he spoke, the glint in his eye, convinced her that he already knew something. Perhaps he knew where Jack was as well. She needed to be around Jack. She couldn't explain it. She just felt more at ease in this world when the unpredictable, drunken Pirate was around.

She nodded and followed him through the streets of Tortuga. He moved quickly and silently and Lara focused on where she was putting her feet and the sound of the monkey chattering on the veteran pirate's shoulder. The _Pearl_ stretched into view as they rounded a corner. She didn't know how large Tortuga was but she'd traversed a fair bit of it in the last week, and she doubted there were many places to hide a ship as large and as magnificent as the _Pearl_.

She ascended the gangway silently, glancing back over her shoulder at the busy docks. She froze. There was a man standing there who looked exactly like her father. Not quite exactly, he looked as though he'd been worn down and was older. But he was there. Lara stared, wanting to turn and run after him but a crowd of drunken louts swept across her view of him and he was gone. She let out a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding and turned back to the ship. Various members of the crew ran around, readying the ship for sailing. Will Turner glared at her as he walked past purposefully. After a moment, Lara realised that a small group of black-clad figures standing towards the back was her team.

So her team was safe. She was the goddess Eris. Barbossa wanted her at the meeting of the Brethren Court and her father's doppleganger was here.

She glanced up to the helm of the ship. A tanned face with lively brown eyes grinned down at her and Captain Jack Sparrow's golden tooth gleamed in the sun. Lara felt a grin spread across her face in return. Talk about complications.


	16. Compromise

"Nice of you to run away, luv," Jack said as Lara easily mounted the stairs that lead to the main steering area of the majestic ship. She cast a pointed glance down to Barbossa.

"I'd really call being kidnapped 'running away.' Your ship now, is it?" she asked and Jack chuckled. It was a smooth, rich sound that Lara found herself enjoying more than she would have liked to admit.

"With the help of your marine-thingies. Surprisingly helpful they were," he said cryptically, not expanding on how he'd possibly been able to re-acquire the ship. She glanced down at her team, who was grouped. As she'd expected, Chang had taken over leadership in her absence, something she wholeheartedly approved of.

"Where are we off to now?" she enquired, leaning against the worn wooden railing that ran along in front of the wheel. The sea breeze ghosted over her bare skin as the ship picked up speed as it moved towards open sea. It was only now that she noticed that Elizabeth Swann was missing and Will was sitting on his own, looking melancholy. She cast her mind back to the movies, that seemed so long ago and so insubstantial compared to what she was living now. While she'd been delivered over to Beckett's ship with Jack, Elizabeth had been taken as 'Calypso' by Sao Feng. It wasn't until later that Will was tossed overboard by their bread crumb trail to Shipwreck Cove, where she assumed their destination was currently.

This was the first time she'd properly been on a ship for an extended period of time; she didn't really count the locker as the sea was too smooth and supernatural to really be judged. But here, she could feel the waves pitch and roll the _Pearl_ and she found herself spreading her stance to get a more stable position. Jack looked amused as he saw her shift, standing perfectly at ease.

Lara turned to face him. "Where are we going?" She repeated after he failed to answer her the first time.

Jack pulled a face. "An unfortunate compromise has put us on the path to Shipwreck Cove."

"Ah," said Lara, nodding knowingly. "Barbossa's intentions, to meet with the Brethren Court and convince them to free Calypso." She paused, wondering if she should mention Eris before deciding to stay quiet. She didn't even know what it meant completely.

"Like I said, extremely unfortunate for me."

"You're going to want to lose William at some point," she told him, following his gaze to where the blacksmith-turned-pirate was standing.

Jack looked at her a touch suspiciously. "Do I have to?"

"No. You don't _have _to. I'm not sure what will happen if you don't, because so far everything's righted itself." Lara felt the fatigue she'd managed to withhold while in the cell begin to set into her bones as she relaxed. "Where do I sleep?" she asked, shielding her eyes from the bright sun reflecting off the sparkling water.

For the second time in her knowing of him, she saw him hesitate, trying to decide where to put her. Clearly he trusted her more than locking her up. "Your crew's joining mine in the berths. I suppose you'd be most comfortable with them." He still looked slightly uncertain. She nodded, pushing herself off the railing.

"Also, going to be a terribly inconvenient female here and ask if you possess anymore clothes?" She gestured down to her attire. The sun was dropping and some helpful member of the crew had slipped around and lit candles. The glow flickered onto them, making the atmosphere look ethereal and eerie.

"I think you'd stay in them if I said I liked how you look," Jack said, dropping his voice an octave. His words sent a shiver through her body.

"What makes you think I'd care what you think?" she retorted, attempting to keep her voice flat. He smirked, the gold tooth glinting once again. He remained silent, slowly turning the wheel. Lara took that as her cue to leave and slipped down the steps.

* * *

Navigating her way down to the belly of the ship was much different to watching a camera pan across it. She slipped into the berthing area, a large and open room. Snores already filled the air, which smelled thickly of alcohol. She walked along, letting her eyes adjust in the dark until she found the area where her marines resided. She was more relieved than she'd originally thought to see them.

"Lara!" one of the men exclaimed, quickly and gracefully exiting his hammock to stand to attention, out of habit she assumed. She quickly corrected him, nodding as she accounted every face. It really was an odd sight to see a squad of marines, guns, uniforms and all, sitting in the berth of a 15th century pirate ship.

"Nice to see you all, gentlemen," she said easily, smiling at them. In their down time, when not commanding them, Lara and the men had grown accustomed to swapping stories and generally becoming friendly with each other. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a pirate struggling to sit up before Pintel's face made an appearance.

"I thought you had left," he said, slurring his words. Lara lifted a shoulder and dropped it.

"Clearly not, if I'm standing here in front of you." He grunted, clearly unimpressed with this answer, but said nothing more. Lara had perfected an authorative tone after years of doing it.

"Who took you? How'd you get out? We did try looking for you but Fitzgerald and Sparrow agreed that you'd get out on your own and it was more beneficial to find Barbossa," Tim Kent recounted to her. She nodded at his words, a cross between annoyance and happiness coming over her when Sparrow was mentioned. On the one hand, he no longer underestimated her abilities which was disadvantageous for her. It meant he'd adjust how he fought if they ever came to that. But then on the other hand, he clearly had instilled a lot of faith in her, much more than any of her superior officers had ever bothered with.

"Sao Feng took me," she said by detailing her escape. The marines whooped when she described how she had slid along the floor, and Lara smiled in the dark.

"Where are we going now?"

"Shipwreck Cove, meeting of the Brethren Court, where Elizabeth Swann should be voted Pirate king." In a way, it was harder to know how things were supposed to go because she'd actually have to manipulate hers and other people's actions in order to get there.

"What do you expect us to do?" Chang enquired in his smooth, even voice and Lara paused for a moment to actually think about it. She was Eris, she had to hold that in mind. It was clearly something of great importance.

"We're gods to them," she mumbled aloud and they looked at her curiously. "Think about it; even as far as they include the supernatural, we're like gods or deities or higher beings to them… I can think for now, our best plan of action would be to sit in on the Brethren Court and consult with Captain Teague afterwards." She didn't know why she needed to talk to Jack's father but suddenly it seemed imminent to everything.

"And tomorrow after we make port at Shipwreck Cove, we're all gonna go for a mile swim," she added on a lighter note, looking sternly at them as they collectively groaned. "I won't have us losing touch with our old rituals. We trained before an operation in our world – we trained for months for Russia, and we knew what to expect. We need to be on the top of our game here. Am I understood?"

A collective mumbled 'yes' returned and Lara nodded, satisfied she'd done all she could for the night. She fell into the hammock, resting her arms over the sides, trying to get used to the odd swaying feeling. It easily lulled her into a much needed sleep.

* * *

Everything was still when she woke. She could hear a faint lapping of the water against the side of the ship but other than that, the only noise was the heavy breathing of the sailors and marines, fast asleep. Lara sat up cautiously, her eyes immediately drawn to a light at the top of the stairs. At first, she thought it was simply the bright glow from the moon sinking through but it swayed and moved. She slid out of the hammock and lightly walked across.

She wasn't surprised at what she found. William Turner, leaning against the railing of the ship, a body at one side and a barrel at the other. He was currently sawing through the rope with a determined expression. As she grew closer, she could see there was already a trail of bodies in the water.

"A bit of an easy plan to end, isn't it?" She smirked as he flinched slightly, turning towards her.

"What do you mean?" he asked guardedly.

Lara shrugged, gesturing to him. "Well, one simply has to dispatch of you and the plan ends."

"And you're going to be the one to do that?"

"I might be. It might be in your best interests."

He shook his head, returning to his work and immediately lowering the threat he thought Lara posed to him. "And pray tell, how would you know Captain Evans?" He put a certain mocking tone on her title, as Lara had had done to her over her entire life.

She snorted. She should have expected it. So noble in the movies, so different in real life. All he was concerned about was Elizabeth.

"I know a lot. I know everything, in fact. I know that if I do this," she stepped towards him and pushed him against the railing, almost horizontal. The only thing that would stop him falling into the water was her grip on his shirt. "If I let you go, you'll marry Elizabeth and lead a happy life." Slight lie on her part but it worked well enough as she saw his eyes widen in shock.

"No one knows who you are," he said with effort, clearly struggling to find purchase on the side of the ship so he had no need for her. "No one will ever be able to trust you. You don't belong here." Lara knew he was right and was considering letting him drop before her mind's eye took her to the man who looked like her father.

She pulled Will back flat against the ship and bent down to pick up the knife. The handle was worn smooth – she knew eactly where it had come from. It was his father's knife, Will's way of making a promise he could never keep.

She slammed it into the wooden railing. To his credit, he didn't flinch or shy away.

"Your father gave you that knife," she said. "I'm here to look for mine." It was a truth, in a way. Her mind had begun to piece together how her father could have possibly gone missing all those years ago.

"And pushing me over board to drown will help you do it?"

"Oh, it wouldn't do to have you drown," she said sardonically, bending down and picking up the barrel. The dead man hadn't begun to decompose, thank god. Muscles in her arm strained and flexed at being used after remaining unused for so long. The barrel toppled into the water. Lara fixed her dark emerald eyes on him. She didn't know what he saw but he glanced at the barrel that was floating away like it held more salvation than she ever could.

"Am I going to push you overboard or are you going to jump?" she asked after a moment of his indesicion. "Think of it as a compromise," she told him, repeating Jack's early words. He pulled the knife off the railing and slid over the railing before splashing into the water. Lara let a smug, satisfied smile cross her face.

* * *

"Oh, it wouldn't do to have you drown." The woman unsettled him. She was far too confident, she was powerful. Will met her eyes and froze. They were churning like a maelstrom. They spoke of a dark and dangerous past, an equally as bloody future and all the things she could do to him if he didn't abide by her will.

He glanced down at the barrel, watching it drift further and further away. He'd experienced the supernatural before, what with Barbossa's crew that had originally taken Elizabeth and Davy Jones himself. And he couldn't help but think that Captain Lara Evans was of the same ilk and the barrel looked like a much better fate than anything he'd get staying on the ship. He barely heard her words as he yanked his knife out of the wood where she'd put it in the side. He mounted the railing before letting himself fall into the water. As he surfaced, he glanced at the ship but she was already out of his view. She was already gone.

* * *

Jack saw the entire thing. He saw the way Lara manipulated and twisted Will until he made the choice himself. It wasn't entirely dissimilar to what he would have done but it was done so flawlessly. He chuckled slightly under his breath when she made a comment about compromise.

He moved from his vantage point slightly and found he could see her better. Her eyes were like emeralds in the darkness and she smelled like sweat and danger. The moon threw a silhouette onto her body – curvy to a point, tall and lithe. The way the smirk crossed her face and she thrust her chin out, she looked like some sort of spiteful goddess, a cruel figurehead of a ship come to life. Beautiful and exotic. _Damn_, Jack thought. _She's gonna get me into some trouble._


End file.
